Gaza pullout: Anita Tucker

The BBC News website and BBCArabic.com spoke to four Israelis and four Palestinians for their thoughts on the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Hakeem: Govt worker, Gaza "At the moment we live in a prison, but soon we will be free" Abdullah: Accountant, Gaza "Further agreements to improve conditions in Gaza must follow" Ashraf Accountant, W Bank "It is a trick to mislead domestic and world opinion" Lama: Aid worker, Gaza city "The Gaza pullout will make no difference - it's a unilateral step"

Ayelet: Lecturer, Haifa "I'm happy about the withdrawal - it will bring peace of mind" Shimon: 58, Pharmacist "I think it's a good move but I do have reservations" Arlene: Writer, Jerusalem "The withdrawal gives the upper hand to terrorists" Anita: Farmer, Gush Khatif "The evacuation is totally immoral and unethical"

Anita Tucker, settler/farmer, Gush Khatif settlement, Gaza

The evacuation is totally immoral and unethical. I feel this more strongly than ever.

It is impossible to take 9,000 people out of their homes for no logical reason.

I'm very disappointed in Sharon as a leader, he who invested so much time in these homes

The town where I live is called Netzer Hazani. Until two weeks ago there were perhaps 80 families here, with maybe 500 people.

Now, I think we have around 2,500 people here, with all the people coming in to support us.

I think there is a strong likelihood that the pullout won't happen completely.

There are people here willing to leave work, take their children and a small backpack to camp out in wild conditions and protest against the pullout.

I'm very disappointed in Sharon as a leader, he who invested so much time in these homes; we still have the Sharon homes from when he was housing minister.

I think Netanyahu realised there's a limit to how much you can go along with such plans. I think he's a moral person.

At the moment I'm still in my home with all my furniture. If I leave, I have no idea where I'll go.

In recent days, I have cut celery from the greenhouse, packaged them and sent them to be sold. I have even planted.

I know some people think I'm crazy to plant but every farmer has faith, he never knows what the market will be like. He continues to plant as he hopes to have something to eat.

I think it's crazy for anyone to leave their home. My parents were refugees from Germany, my grandparents from Poland. I would not like to be a third generation refugee.

If I have to give up my home, I would feel better if Palestinians I know would have it. To think there may be terrorists who have killed who could live here, it's unthinkable.

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The following comments reflect the balance of views received:

I suspect I would disagree with Ms Tucker's general politics, but still think she is the most generous person here and applaud her, because she's protecting her home and hoping it goes to good use, rather than some who are burning theirs. Sharon's and also Ms Tucker's work on the house goes toward the peace by giving someone needier somewhere good to live.
Jonathan, US/UK

There is no easy "quick fix" in this situation, but there needs to be compromise. A pull-out is a positive first step toward peace. Sure, there will be Muslims who feel it isn't enough, much like many Jews who feel it's too much. Jews should remember that they were driven out of their homelands during WWII, and they should have compassion for the majority of Palestinians who are not terrorists and also lost their lands.
Randall , United States

I agree with Pascal Manuel, the world is round, what goes around, comes around. Ms Tucker should be thankful that at least she has some support from her government and isn't simply kicked out of land that belonged to her people for hundreds of years, with no help and no money... unlike what happened to Palestinians.
Naveen Raza, London, England

What is truly immoral here is that the state of Israel encouraged and provided funding for these settlers to colonise what is recognised by the United Nations, most nations of the world and international law as illegally occupied land. I hope at least that this experience gives Anita some empathy with those Palestinians who were forcefully removed from their homes in 1948 and those Palestinians in the West Bank who have their homes illegally destroyed by the Israeli Army on a daily basis!
Kevin, London, UK

Ms Tucker has received a generous compensation package and the full support of her government in relocating. This is more than was offered to the Palestinians, or for that matter, the Jews forced out of Europe.
Hans Stiles, Chessington, England

One feels compassion for Ms Tucker and others in their plight, but it is tempered with the sorrow and tears of those whose centuries-old land was ripped from them, and their homes and families destroyed by policies of Israel for 50 years. Though painful, she and others must accept that if there is going to be "peace" in her world, then they will have to acknowledge the errors of their forefathers in violating the hearts of the Palestinian peoples and be strong in the face of being the ones at the forefront of these steps. It is time for arrogance and ignorance to be buried and for a new direction to be formed.
David Bellak, Edinburgh, Scotland

What Anita seems to forget is that her home is built on land that originally belonged to Palestinians. They would likely have been evicted far less compassionately and with far less warning than she has had the luxury of. For her to say it is immoral to evict her is a little bit hypocritical in my view.
Alan, Bedford, UK

Ms Tucker doesn't even mention the Palestinians until the last sentence. From the rest of her article, you'd think that the evacuation was happening for no reason whatsoever. As Sharon said in his speech yesterday, it is impossible for Israel to move forward while millions of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank are subjugated and humiliated repeatedly, just in order that a relative handful of Israeli settlers can enjoy a life of luxury.
Dean Nicholas, London, England

To all involved - pray for peace. Forgive and forget the past wrongs. Use your energy to create a strong economy and educate your children.
Dr Donald Tosh, Glasgow

The shallow mindsets on both sides of the fence who are now voicing their opinions is a microcosm of the greater problem in the Middle East. For several thousand settlers to think it "moral" to displace more than one million Palestinians in what little land they have left is ludicrous. Palestinians on this site have expressed pure negativity about Israeli intentions in regards to this historical and painful step in the right direction. This mindset is commensurate to that of the most fervent of settlers. If a momentous concession is accepted with such negativity is there any point in even sitting down at the negotiating table in the first place? If peace is to be had, both sides will have to look farther than the tip of their own noses.
Saul, New York City, USA

The paradox is quite alarming, it is perfectly acceptable for millions of Palestinians to be thrown out of their country and placed in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt but for 80 families residing in a country that is clearly not their own such a fuss is made! Complete madness, perhaps these 80 families will now understand what they put millions of Palestinians through.
Pascal Manuel, Lyon France